LASIK Co-Management
What LASIK Does Not Fix
LASIK corrects refractive error and nothing else. It does not prevent presbyopia, cataract, glaucoma, macular degeneration or retinal disease, and it does not remove the need for regular eye examinations.
Refractive surgery is genuinely transformative for the right candidate, and it is also frequently misunderstood as fixing eyes rather than fixing focus.
The most common surprise is presbyopia. Someone who has LASIK at thirty five and is delighted with the result will still need reading glasses in their mid forties, because presbyopia is the ageing of the lens inside the eye and surgery on the cornea does nothing about it. That is not a failure of the procedure, and it is worth knowing beforehand.
The more consequential misunderstanding is about eye examinations. Every reason to have annual eye examinations still applies after surgery. Glaucoma, retinal disease, macular degeneration and diabetic changes are all unaffected by refractive surgery, and post surgical corneas have their own reasons for needing monitoring.
What this does not do
- Presbyopia still develops from the mid forties.
- Cataract still develops with age, and surgery is still needed for it eventually.
- Glaucoma, macular degeneration and retinal disease risk are unchanged.
- Dry eye can be caused or worsened, sometimes persistently.
- Night vision effects such as halos and starbursts can occur.
- Annual eye examinations remain necessary.
Questions and answers
Will I need reading glasses eventually?
Yes, from the mid forties, regardless of how successful the surgery was. Presbyopia is a change in the lens inside the eye, and corneal surgery does not affect it.
Can I still get cataracts after LASIK?
Yes, at the same rate as anyone else. Cataract surgery after LASIK is routine, though implant power calculations are more complex, which is another reason your pre operative records matter.
Do I still need eye exams?
Absolutely. Surgery corrects focus and does nothing for eye health. Glaucoma screening and retinal assessment matter just as much afterwards.
Can LASIK be redone?
Enhancement procedures are possible when enough corneal tissue remains, and that is determined by your surgeon. It is one reason not to use up thickness unnecessarily.
Talk to someone about what lasik does not fix
Appointments are scheduled two per hour, so there is time to answer questions properly. Call (480) 706-3937 or request a time online.